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Marion Township, Bowman County, North DakotaPhoto: Ragazzi3 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Marion Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Marion Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns

In July the day’s top temperature is typically 84°. June is the wettest month, January the driest. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.

Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns#16Snowiest  of 22 in ND
All ND rankings →

A year in Marion Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan28°8° 8" snow
Feb32°10° 8" snow
Mar42°19° 7" snow
Apr54°29° 8" snow
May65°40° Last frost ~May 16
Jun75°50° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul84°55° 8 days 90°+
Aug83°53° 8 days 90°+
Sep73°43° First frost ~Sep 253 days 90°+
Oct56°31° 4" snow
Nov now42°20° 5" snow
Dec31°11° 6" snow

What stands out about Marion Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Marion Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Marion Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
30° / 10°
19 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
54° / 29°
Last frost around May 16
Summer
81° / 53°
21 days reach 90°
Fall
57° / 31°
First frost around Sep 25
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 132 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bowman, ND, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.

191
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
6th most of 25 in North Dakota
More freezing nights than all but 136 U.S. towns
30
nights at or below 0°
25th most of 25 in North Dakota
More nights at or below 0° than 98% of U.S. towns
21
days that reach 90°
4th most of 25 in North Dakota
More 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 100°
9th most of 25 in North Dakota
More 100° days than 78% of U.S. towns
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Marion Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.3
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 48 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Bowman, ND, is heaviest from January through April, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.

16"
Rain + melted snow a year
3rd driest of 25 in North Dakota
Drier than 92% of U.S. towns
48"
Snow in a normal winter
16th snowiest of 22 in North Dakota
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns
99 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
8th most of 17 in North Dakota
More days with snow on the ground than 96% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

8"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Marion Township

96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

8,638 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 187 U.S. towns
396 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 91% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bowman, ND.

Living here

Living with Marion Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

132 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 25.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 32 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Cold waves are 46% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Marion Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Marion Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Marion Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Bowman Township: January low 7°, July high 84°Grainbelt Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Sheets Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Cash Township: January low 7°, July high 84°Crawford Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Nebo Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Star Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Rhame Township: January low 7°, July high 84°Adelaide Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Marion Township: January low 8°, July high 84°Marion TownshipStar TownshipRhame TownshipAdelaide Township
ColderMilder7° to 8°
Rhame Township7.4° about the same
Star Township7.5° about the same
Marion Township7.7°
Adelaide Township7.7° about the same

Climates most like Marion Township’s, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Marion Township, ND8°84°16"48"
Havre, MT6°85°13"41"
Aberdeen, SD3°84°22"43"
Gypsum, CO11°86°14"39"
Gillette, WY13°86°16"56"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Marion Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).

+1.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 67% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 20°, was 17°
Spring+0.6°now 41°, was 41°
Summer+0.4°now 67°, was 66°
Fall+0.6°now 44°, was 43°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Marion Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Marion Township’s place among North Dakota’s.

Summer heat84° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns23rd coolest of 25 in North Dakota
Winter cold8° January low
Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns25th coldest of 25 in North Dakota
Precipitation16" a year
Drier than 92% of U.S. towns3rd driest of 25 in North Dakota
Snow48" a winter
More snow than 81% of U.S. towns16th snowiest of 22 in North Dakota
Hot days21 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns4th most of 25 in North Dakota
Freezing nights191 a year
More freezing nights than all but 136 U.S. towns6th most of 25 in North Dakota
Growing season132 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 98% of U.S. towns5th shortest of 25 in North Dakota
Month by month

Marion Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Marion Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bowman, ND. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January28°8°0.5"7.6"7259° – 30°
February32°10°0.5"7.6"7200° – 32°
March42°19°0.7"7.4"71618° – 43°
April54°29°1.5"8.0"9634° – 47°
May65°40°2.7"1.9"11146° – 57°
June75°50°3.0"0.0"12057° – 67°
July84°55°2.1"0.0"10060° – 75°
August83°53°1.5"0.0"7063° – 73°
September73°43°1.5"0.0"7051° – 64°
October56°31°1.4"3.9"7235° – 49°
November42°20°0.5"5.4"61019° – 41°
December31°11°0.5"6.4"71910° – 30°
Year55°31°16.3"48.2"9699
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Marion Township’s numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Marion Township’s center.
  • Snow: Bowman, ND.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bowman, ND, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Marion Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Marion Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Marion Township in winter?

January nights average 8°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.

How much snow does Marion Township get?

About 48 inches in a normal winter at Bowman, ND, heaviest from January through April, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 99 days a year.

How hot does it get in Marion Township?

July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Bowman, ND).

When is the first and last frost in Marion Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 132 frost-free days, at Bowman, ND.

What growing zone is Marion Township in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.

What is the best time of year to visit Marion Township?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Marion Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Marion Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.